The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art
A History
By, Karen Towers Klacsmann
CHAPTER 1
Establishment of the Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art and its
relation to the Augusta Art Club
On October 13, 1932, Miss Louisa Mustin and a dozen of her friends gathered at her home.
Little did they know that their ambitious plans for the cultural life of the city would grow
into the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, a cornerstone in the vibrant arts community of
Augusta. Without a permanent home for the arts, Mustin and Miss Julia Johnston cofounded the Augusta Art Club. The group wanted a designated space for art studios, a forum
to discuss art, and an exhibition venue. A section of the Old Medical College building,
administered by the Sand Hills Garden Club, was available for shared studio space. At first,
there was no instructor: the members hired a model and critiqued each other’s work. In
addition, they held a series of art appreciation lectures. Membership dues were two dollars
per year, a reasonable fee that was affordable to many people in the area who were
interested in the fine arts. Members attended art appreciation lectures without an admission
charge while non-members were invited but paid fifty cents to attend each lecture. By the
second year of operation, the club’s membership roll stood at 60. There were art
appreciation lectures every other Monday during a season that lasted from September until
May – a period that coincided with the influx of winter visitors who made the area a second
home for extended periods of time. Topics for the lectures covered a wide range of interests,
such as Ancient Egypt, Italian Renaissance, French Sculpture, The Urban Planning of
Washington D.C., Modern Art, Mexican Art, Works on Paper, Rembrandt, Landscape
Architecture, American Art, and Design of Objects for Daily Use. Often, color slides and a
prepared lecture were acquired from a museum, the American Federation of Arts, or the
Frick Library, and a member of the art club presented the lecture. For example, on October
23, 1933, Berry Fleming delivered the lecture about the renaissance in Italy to a large crowd
as detailed in the newspaper coverage the following day. Occasionally, experts from
museums, colleges and universities in the region were invited to speak. The first exhibition,
featuring the work of local artists, was held in May of 1933 and became an annual event. To
coincide with Mardi Gras, the club held a Beaux Arts Ball. They presented their first
Tableaux Vivants where members of the community reenacted masterpieces of art,
accompanied by music and narration. There were also bridge parties, fashion shows and
open studio visits. Besides the Old Medical College building, events were staged at the
Tubman High School Auditorium, the Forest Hills Hotel, the Bon Air Hotel, the Partridge
Inn, and J. B. White and Co. display windows.
By the time the Augusta Art Club was formally established, in 1935, the activities of the
club were regularly reported in the local newspapers and occasionally reported in the New
York Times under the headline, At the Colonies in the Mid-South, a regular feature that
2
showcased events in the winter colonies of Augusta, Aiken, Asheville, Pinehurst, Sea Island,
Southern Pines, White Sulfur Springs, and Camden. The founding members at incorporation
were Victor Barbot, Annie Lewis Battey, Catherine Jack Edwards, Rodney S. Cohen, Joseph
B. Cumming, E. Lynn Drummond, Louise Dyers, Julia S. Johnston, George Lynch, Louisa
Mustin, Gwinn Huxley Nixon, Louise deL’aigle Reese, Ellen Thomas, John M. Walton, and
Alice H. Wright. They stated their goals: to actively foster and encourage individual talent,
host exhibits and lectures about art. To that end, the studio classes were augmented with a
commercial art class and open studios were not only those in the Old Medical College
building but increased to others in the community. In addition to the annual exhibition of
work by local artists, outside exhibits were held. These included works by the Atlanta
Artists Guild, the Georgia Artists Association, and Posters of Women: distinguished for
their beauty, intellect and accomplishment. The Tableaux Vivants was repeated and
deliberately moved to occur in February for the enjoyment of both local residents and winter
visitors. The successful art appreciation lecture series continued with topics including:
Netherlandish art, the Duchess of Devonshire portrait by Gainsborough, Philosophy of Art,
British Art, Currier and Ives prints, Contemporary painting, and Photography as Fine Art.
Fundraisers also expanded from the annual Beaux Arts Ball and bridge parties, to include a
reception given by Mrs. John Herbert for the benefit of the Augusta Art Club. It was
becoming increasingly clear that the Augusta Art Club needed a permanent home to fulfill
its mission.
On January 23, 1937, the dream of a permanent home for the club was realized when Mrs.
John Herbert gave the Augusta Art Club Ware’s Folly. Not only did she purchase the
property but financed a complete renovation and established an endowment for it. The
Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art was born. From that moment until the present,
the property at 506 Telfair Street is inextricably linked to the Augusta Art Club, the cultural
life of the region, and generations of art students and those who yearn to learn more about
art and architecture. The building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, had a
rich history before it took its present form as the only non-profit contemporary gallery space
and independent visual arts school in the region that offers studio art classes for individuals
of all ages on a continual basis. 1
The home was known colloquially as Ware’s Folly. Nicholas Ware spent lavishly to create
the extravagant details found in this ornate Federal style home. It was completed in 1818 at a
cost of $40,000. Ware served as the mayor of Augusta from 1819-1821 and represented
Georgia as a United States senator from 1821 until his death in 1824. Ware county, located
in southeastern Georgia and the largest county in the state, is named in his honor. One of the
best surviving examples of a highly decorated mansion in this style, the house has a
prominent central hallway and elliptical floating staircase spanning three stories, and
contains many architecturally distinctive details in the mouldings, fanlights and fireplaces.
1
From the Porter Fleming Foundation Grant, 2013.
3
The exterior is equally distinctive with its porticos, detailed pilasters, bay windows and
second floor entrance. The expense of the home and the style of it were subject of discussion
for generations.
The second owner of the home may have had a deeply personal reason for purchasing it
from Ware’s widow, Susan. Richard Tubman met his wife in the home and their wedding
took place there two years later. Emily Harvie Thomas was Susan’s cousin. The young
woman met the much older Tubman during a family visit. Emily Tubman left a lasting
legacy in her many acts of philanthropy in this region, her home state of Kentucky, and in
Liberia, Africa, where she is remembered for arranging and paying for the passage of her
freed slaves.
In 1830, the home passed to the James Gardner family who lived there until 1871. Next, the
Sibley family, who built and operated textile mills in the area, occupied it until the early
twentieth century. The final notable occupant was J.C.H. Clark who acquired the mansion to
use as a rental facility. By the time the home was purchased by Mrs. John W. Herbert, for
the sum of $4,000, the property was abandoned and derelict.
The property was of interest on a national level as an extraordinary example of early
nineteenth century architecture. In 1934, the first photographs and documentation by the
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) took place. Two years later, in April and
November, a HABS team documented and photographed the building, recorded as the
Ware-Gardner-Sibley-Clark House. Harold Bush-Brown, the district officer of the survey
and the head of the school of architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology, completed his
report in 1937. All the documentation and photos are available from the Library of Congress
website.2 Mrs. Herbert was well integrated into the community of Augusta and must have
known about the survey.
Mrs. John W. Herbert, a long-time winter resident in the area, was a philanthropist. Born
August 11, 1862, to Captain George Washington Helme and Margaret Adeline (née
Appleby), Olivia Antoinette was known as Etta. She was born in Mississippi and baptized
four days later in Shreveport, Louisiana. Her father, a captain in the confederate Crescent
Regiment had resigned his commission in June of 1862 and transferred to the mining service
in the Trans-Mississippi department. Prior to his military service, he had been admitted to
the bar. Etta was the oldest surviving daughter of the couple. A brother, George Appleby
Helme, was born in 1866. The family eventually moved to Middlesex County, New Jersey
where her father and maternal uncle established a factory that produced snuff. The business
venture was so successful that Helme bought out his brother-in-law, bought a large swath of
land, and renamed the area Helmetta, a contraction of Etta’s first and last names. Now
known as the George W. Helme Snuff Mill District on the National Register of Historic
2
memory.loc.gov. Ware-Sibley-Clark House. HABS-GA-123-AUG,36-
4
Places, the district originally included the factory and one hundred seventeen buildings that
were homes for the workers, the Helme family, and buildings used for religious, health, and
community purposes. The mill was the largest manufacturer of sweet snuff in the world. It
closed in 1993 when operations were consolidated with another family-owned mill in West
Virginia. The district included the Club, a facility that served as a community-gathering
center with a card room, library, boxing room, bowling alley and sitting room. The family
established St. George Episcopal Church in the district. In 1935, Etta established the
Herbert House for homeless children in the district from her mansion on the property.
Etta married John Warne Herbert, Jr. on November 10, 1885. Herbert, from a prominent
New Jersey family, was a graduate of Rutgers University, where he was a member of the
first intercollegiate football game that beat Princeton in 1869. He studied law at Columbia
University, but after his marriage, was active in the family business, politics, and served on
several corporate boards. The couple and their three children, John Oliver Herbert (18861899), Gertrude A. (1893-1933), and John Warne Herbert III (1899-1942) split their time
between homes in Helmetta, New York City, and the Augusta area.
The family is considered among the earliest of winter residents in Augusta. There was an
incident reported in a New Jersey newspaper that Mr. Herbert’s mother broke her collarbone
in a fall from a carriage, in 1907, during a visit to the family in Augusta.3 They lived in
several locations: the Hampton Terrace in North Augusta, Sun Glow Cottage - a home that
was leased on the Hill, the Bon Air Hotel, and finally Salubrity Hall. In 1928, the
architectural firm of Philander P. Scroggs and Whitely L. Ewing was hired to create a home
for the Herberts on Cumming Road in Augusta. Named Salubrity Hall after Mount
Salubrity, a young ladies seminary established by Thomas Sandwich in the early nineteenth
century, the Tudor Style home and its extensive gardens is one of the loveliest mansions on
the Hill. According to research files at the Smithsonian Institution, the mansion was built to
incorporate portions of the school foundation that remained on the property.4 The
accompanying gardens were planned by Etta and she generously opened her home and
gardens for events sponsored by the civic and religious groups that she actively participated
in during the winter months: Augusta Art Club, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and the Sand
Hills Garden Club. The location of the home was ideal for walking to the Augusta Country
Club where her husband is listed as one of its founding members. Her philanthropy extended
to University Hospital when, in 1935, she donated a considerable sum to buy medical
equipment for the newly built Milton Antony Wing. Her legacy is best known for her
generosity with regard to the Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art, as it was originally
known, named for her only daughter.
Gertrude was born on November 22, 1893. She attended the Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr,
Pennsylvania, the Finch School in New York City, and a school in Lausanne, Switzerland.
3
4
Red Bank Register, February 20, 1907.
siris-archives.si.edu. Salubrity Hall c.1930.
5
On April 19, 1919, she married Edward Delaney Dunn in a lavish ceremony at the Cathedral
of St. John the Divine, in New York City, followed by a reception in the family home on
Fifth Avenue. The couple honeymooned in Europe and settled into an apartment on Park
Avenue. Eventually, the family expanded to include four children: daughters Anton (Olivia
A.) and June (Gertrude H.), and sons Edward, Jr. and Eric. According to her obituary,
Gertrude was a playwright and frequent author of magazine articles, using her maiden name
for publication. Her death, on June 16, 1933, of spinal meningitis was sudden.
Plans for the Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art moved swiftly during 1937. There
was no lull in the events associated with the Augusta Art Club and the renovations overseen
by the firm of Scroggs and Ewing appear to have taken most of the year since the inaugural
exhibit at the new home of the art club was in November.
The trustees of the institute were separate from the trustees of the art club. They
administered the endowment funds, oversaw the payment of the director, instructors and
caretakers of the property, and made certain that the property was well maintained. The
inaugural board, incorporated in December, 1937 included Victor D. Barbot, John M.
Walton, Lansing B. Lee, Eleanor E. Teague, Joseph E. Cumming, Olivia A. Herbert and
Richard E. Allen, Jr., who was the mayor of Augusta. There was great stability in the board,
as thirty years later, Teague, Cumming, and Lee were still members. Other trustees who
served for extended periods during the first thirty years were William A. Rossignol, Gwinn
H. Nixon, Jake Lowrey, Robert Dienst, Calhoun Witham, and Philip Dow. The endowment
included stock in the American Snuff Company, Chase National Bank, Southern California
Edison, Standard Oil of New Jersey, Continental Can Company, General Motors and Texas
Corporation. Before her death in 1945, Mrs. Herbert gave additional funds in the form of
bonds to maintain and repair the property.
The first director of the institute was Horace Talmage Day, who was introduced to the
community prior to the establishment of the Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art. On
October 23, 1936, he was honored at a reception in the Old Medical College building
attended by several hundred people and stated he would devote his interests that season to
the arts in Augusta.
6
CHAPTER 2
Horace Talmage Day, the First Director
Horace Talmage Day was named the director of the Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of
Art at its inception. Paid by the trustees $1,200 for the season and given an apartment in the
building, he lost no time in promoting the visual arts through art instruction, lectures and
writing newspaper articles. He embraced his new home, noticed and commented upon the
community’s deep devotion to its ancestry, way of life, and tie to the landscape. His
observations left an indelible mark upon him and inspired his work. He accomplished much
in his tenure as director, a period that lasted until the summer of 1941 when he stopped in
Virginia to visit Elizabeth Nottingham as he traveled north from Augusta. According to his
wife, “we felt that we couldn’t stand the separation,” and the couple married on the spur of
the moment.5
Born in southeastern China, he was the oldest of four children whose parents were
missionaries. The city of Amoy, or Xiamen as it is now known, is located in the Strait of
Taiwan and was remembered by the artist as having similar vegetation to the southern
landscape. Educated at the Shanghai American School and self-taught as a painter using the
scant illustrations by European artists that he found in books, Day moved to New York in
1927 and attended the Art Students League. He was a student of Boardman Robinson,
Kenneth Hayes Miller, Kimon Nicolaïdes and met his future wife who was also an art
student. Their paths crossed again when both were awarded Tiffany Foundation scholarships
for summer study at the foundation’s retreat on Oyster Bay, Long Island. During 1934 and
1935, he was the artist in residence and instructor at the Henry Street Settlement House in
New York City. Day’s work was included in solo and group exhibitions. Macbeth Galleries
in New York City, the only gallery exclusively devoted to work by American artists,
represented him. Prior to his appointment as the director of the Gertrude Herbert Memorial
Institute, he began spending each summer in Vermont and was one of the founding members
of the Southern Vermont Artists Association.
The class schedule during the spring of 1937 was sensitive to those who had a great deal of
leisure time and those who did not. There were morning classes that lasted for three hours
each weekday, afternoon classes on Wednesday and Thursday for high school students, and
an evening class on Wednesday from eight until ten thirty, primarily for men who worked
during the day. In addition to critique and instruction, there was a model present.
An Artist Abroad: Letters by Elizabeth Nottingham Day with A Memorial Story, “Our Daughter Elizabeth”
by Cornelia Payne Nottingham. p. 19
5
7
During his residence in Augusta, Day found ample time to explore the surrounding area and
was enchanted with the landscape, particularly the coastal areas of Georgia and South
Carolina. His penchant for en plein air painting was well suited for capturing the vernacular
architecture, native plants, and local population. It provided inspiration and subject matter
for the rest of his career. In the winter of 1938, he exhibited a series of watercolors at
Macbeth Gallery titled Sea Island Country. Jacob Lowrey, a trustee of the institute, wrote
the introduction to the exhibition brochure. The national publication, Art News, reviewed the
exhibition and noted, “…his luxuriant Spanish Moss is an enviable
accomplishment…though foreign to the region which he depicts… (he) never loses his
hearty grip on the country he paints.”6 Not only was Day bringing an awareness of the visual
arts to Augusta, he was bringing the community to the larger art world through his sensitive
depiction of it.
Exhibitions and art instruction the first season continued at the Medical College building and
included a solo exhibition by Kate Edwards. The Tableaux Vivants were performed once
again at the Tubman auditorium, and benefits were held at the Forest Hills Hotel. After
spending the summer in Vermont, Day had ambitious plans for the 1937–1938 season in the
new permanent home at Ware’s Folly.
The classes and lectures continued in the newly restored building. Mrs. Herbert sent funds to
purchase chairs and sound equipment that were needed for the well-attended functions there.
The annual exhibits by local artists continued, and with permanent exhibition space, a
greater variety of outside exhibitions were also held.
The first major exhibition in the new building was a community event in participation and
attendance. On Saturday, November 6, 1937, Antebellum Art, culled from local collections
opened. Comprised of sixty-six paintings, twelve miniature paintings, and decorative
articles that were loaned by individuals, the city of Augusta, the Elizabeth Washington
Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Medical College, the show
illustrated the depth of fine art that was already present in the area. There were works by
Gilbert Stuart, Carl Brandt who was the first director of the Telfair Academy in Savannah,
Rembrandt Peale, Thomas Sully and George Cook.
Many exhibits followed before the season ended with the annual exhibition by local artists
and the youth exhibition where cash prizes were awarded for best in show, best landscape,
best still life, and best water color painting. There was an exhibit of XVI and XVII prints
from a private collection followed by an exhibition of Audubon prints and contemporary
bird paintings. The community once again collaborated on this exhibit. There was work
from local private collections, taxidermy specimens of birds prepared by the curator of the
Augusta History Museum, and lectures and books by Audubon included in the
6
The Art News, Vol. XXXVII No. 11, December 10, 1938, pp. 16-17.
8
programming. Lamar Dodd, the chair of the newly created art department at University of
Georgia attended the opening of this exhibit, and camellia paintings were shown
concurrently that were sponsored by the Sand Hills Garden Club and included a guest
lecturer. The American Association of University Women sponsored an exhibit of silver by
the Danish artist Georg Jensen. There was an exhibit by the American Artists Group,
established in 1935 in order to make original contemporary art available at a reasonable
price that included woodcuts, etchings and lithographs that were for sale at five dollars and
up. Faith Murray, a resident of Edisto Island and an artist associated with the Charleston
Renaissance, exhibited thirty paintings in conjunction with a solo exhibition of noted
children’s portraitist Mary Randolf Witmer. A group of five artists from New York was
followed by a solo exhibition of another prominent member of the Charleston Renaissance,
Alice Ravenel Huger Smith. Day commented in a newspaper article that she “evoke(s) the
special quality of the southern scene.”7 Day was invited to Columbia, South Carolina as a
guest lecturer. The final exhibition was the portrait of Dr. Thomas R. Wright by Glascock
Reynolds before it was presented to the medical college for display in the library.
Collaboration between the institute and the community was important in the development of
exhibitions and the trustees were generous in granting the space for other artistic purposes.
There were musical performances, and a club for that purpose held regular meetings in the
building, as did the Little Theater organization. The Art Club sponsored the American Ballet
Caravan performance at the Richmond Academy auditorium as part of its mission. Governor
E.D. Rivers appointed Horace Day to the jury of selection for work from Georgia artists for
inclusion during the National Exhibition of American Art in New York City and for
selection of Georgia artists for the New York World’s Fair in 1939. Three Augusta artists,
Horace T. Day, Elizabeth P. Wright, and Vary Thrower had paintings selected for the
World’s Fair exhibition.
The following season opened with a membership drive. Dues remained constant, and tables
were set up at key locations on Broad Street, in front of banks, the Richmond Hotel and J.B.
White department store. By the time of the first exhibition of the season, there were two
hundred members of the Augusta Art Club. Further recognition was gained for the city when
the Association of Georgia Artists held its annual meeting in Augusta for the first time.
There was increasing attention and sponsorship for making the visual arts a part of daily life.
The federal government established several projects to bring monetary relief to citizens
suffering as a result of the Great Depression. The Works Progress Administration was
formed to build roads and buildings that would benefit the citizens in underserved areas. Part
of this massive government effort, the Public Works Art Project from 1933 to 1934, the later
Treasury Department Section of Painting and Sculpture established in 1934, and the Federal
7
Augusta Chronicle. April 15, 1938
9
Art Project were designed to keep artists working AND beautify post offices, hospitals,
libraries, court houses, and other official buildings.
The exhibit that opened the 1938–1939 season was one of the government projects. A mural
designed for the main branch of the Augusta post office by William Dean Fausett was
installed in the gallery for several weeks while Fausett put the finishing touches on it. That
mural is now included in the permanent collection of the Augusta Museum of History. Day
applied for and was commissioned to create a post office mural for the government program
the following year. That mural, Farm and Factory, was exhibited in Augusta before its
installation in the post office of Clinton, Tennessee.
The work of the Augusta Art Club and the Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art was
firmly established under the leadership of Horace Day. There were art lessons, exhibitions,
lectures, musical performances, and a growing awareness of the importance of the fine arts
to the community. Day traveled to Europe with several residents of the city leaving the work
of the institute in the capable hands of his assistant, James Montague. Additional art
instruction was arranged when Elizabeth Wright was hired to teach at a salary of one
hundred dollars per month. The only aspect missing was a permanent collection of art and
the Kress Foundation soon remedied that.
The Samuel H. Kress Foundation, established in 1929, was the brainchild of the founder of
the S.H. Kress and Company five-and-dime store chain. One store was located in the 800
block of Broad Street, so a donation of a painting was a natural outgrowth of Kress’s
philanthropy. The foundation’s mission was to support the appreciation of European art, part
of which included disseminating works of European art from the Kress collection to
American art museums. In January of 1939, a sixteenth century oil painting of a Madonna
and Child attributed to the Italian painter Giovanni Francesco Caroto was unveiled to the
public, a gift from the Kress Foundation.
Other notable exhibitions during Day’s tenure as director included an exhibit by Mr. Lynn
Harriss, one of four architects assigned to the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway for the
National Park Service. This exhibit was co-sponsored by the Sand Hills Garden Club and the
watercolors, engravings, lithographs and charcoal drawings were augmented with
stereopticon views of the North Carolina mountains. James H. Blauvelt, a New York interior
designer and guest of Mrs. Herbert, presented a lecture accompanied by eighty-five
photographs titled, “Interior Decoration and its Place in the Home.” Lamar Dodd and artists
trained at the Art Students League exhibited their work, which coincided with a solo
exhibition by regionalist painter Henry Schnackenberg. An exhibit by Edmund Minor
Archer focused on the portrayal of African Americans. The local newspaper noted, “he is
10
particularly interested in what Negroes will contribute to American Art,” and stated that the
exhibition was “one of the most interesting and unusual exhibits ever displayed.” 8
Day’s tenure ended in 1941 with his marriage to Elizabeth Nottingham. The two artists
became co-directors of the art department of Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.
His affection for the community was reciprocated, and he was invited back on several
occasions, the first of which was a solo exhibition of his work in April 1942.
8
Augusta Chronicle, Jan. 22, 1939.
11
CHAPTER 3
1941–1950 The War Years and Beyond
Horace Day left the community with a well-developed art program. He had little time to
settle into his new life in Virginia when he was drafted into the army. His replacement, Dean
Fausett, was known in Augusta prior to his appointment through his visit finishing the WPA
mural commission for the main post office. His tenure was only one year, as he was
promptly called to serve the country. The war effort had a profound impact on the nation,
but the citizens of Augusta found ingenious ways to combine military efforts and art
between 1941 and 1945. After the war, the exhibition schedule broadened, and new efforts
at raising funds were implemented.
Dean Fausett's career followed a similar trajectory to Horace Day's career. Fausett, who used
his middle name instead of William, his first name, was born on the fourth of July 1913 in
Price, Utah and attended Brigham Young University until 1931. He headed to New York to
attend the Art Students League (1931–1935), Beaux Arts Institute of Design (1934–1937),
and spent the summers of 1932,1934 and 1935 at the Tiffany Foundation retreat on Long
Island. He rounded out his formal art education by attending the Colorado Springs Fine Arts
Center and through European travel. He was the drawing instructor at the Henry Street
Settlement from 1936 through 1939. He assisted his brother Lynn and artist Hildreth Meiere
painting murals. He had exhibited widely and was a founding member of the Southern
Vermont Art Center. During the year he spent as director of the Gertrude Herbert, the John
Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation named him as a fellow in the creative arts.9
Records are scarce concerning the events of the year other than the solo exhibition of
watercolors by Horace Day. Of note is the beginning of a relationship with those stationed at
the newly constructed Camp Gordon.
Camp Gordon, named for the Confederate Lieutenant General John Brown Gordon, was
originally established in 1917 in the vicinity of Atlanta, was reconstructed at its present site
in 1941, and was activated as a training base in October of that year. Soldiers were admitted
free to exhibitions and lectures at the Gertrude Herbert Institute and an invitation was
extended for an exhibition of work done by active military personnel that was exhibited in
April 1943. Retired General Peter Taub (Army) gave a lecture to accompany the exhibition.
During the war years there were exhibitions by Private Roy Ward, Sergeant George
9
www.gf.org/fellows. Contains biographical information as published in the Foundations Report, 1941-1942.
12
Trimmer, and Corporal Reuben Gambrell and a watercolor exhibit by Dean Fausett, who
was stationed at Randolph Flying Field in Texas where he created a three thousand-squarefoot mural during his military service.
Between 1942 and 1947, Elizabeth Wright (Mrs. Henry A.) was the director of the institute.
The daughter of Charles H. and Virginia Hartzog Panknin, Elizabeth and her husband,
Henry, a poet and writer, were active in the community, though little is known about their
formal education. Elizabeth was an accomplished artist. She exhibited regularly and won
prizes at the local and state level and was an art instructor from the earliest days of the
establishment of the Gertrude Herbert. The art classes, student exhibits, annual juried
exhibits by local artists, and camellia painting exhibits continued during her tenure and there
were several special exhibitions of note that capitalized on the growing network of artists,
those who had ties to the region, and the spirit of collaboration between organizations.
In April of 1943, production sketches of the animated film Saludos Amigos by Walt Disney
studios were exhibited to the delight of the community. The movie had its American
premiere two months prior to the exhibit and was shown in collaboration with the
celebration of Pan-American Day. Augusta had an active Pan-American society and the
collaboration between the two organizations continued as an annual event in each of the
following two years.
Through the efforts of a former resident of Augusta, Martin Gary Jennings, the opening
exhibition of the 1944–1945 season was of watercolors by John Singer Sargent. There were
fourteen paintings and Jennings, who worked in the etching department of M. Knoedler and
Company in New York City, was instrumental in bringing the show to Augusta.
Jean Charlot, a professor at the University of Georgia, exhibited lithographs that season. The
relationship between the University of Georgia art department and the Gertrude Herbert was
strong. Lamar Dodd, the chair of the department, exhibited his work with the Georgia Artists
Association, the southeastern circuit exhibitions of contemporary artists, and gave periodic
demonstrations and lectures in Augusta. A painting by him remains in the permanent
collection of the institute. Charlot, associated with the Mexican muralists since he served as
an assistant to Diego Rivera, received a WPA commission for the post office mural in
McDonough, Georgia, and was named as an artist-in-residence at the University of Georgia
in 1941. He painted murals on the exterior of the fine arts building and frescos in the
journalism building there and completed murals on the pylons of the building at Black
Mountain College in North Carolina.
During the spring of 1945 the third joint celebration of Pan-American Day and a slide
lecture from the National Gallery of Art ended the season. The summer brought an end to
the war with the surrender of Japan. On a local level, the death of Olivia Herbert at her home
13
in New York brought an end to her efforts behind the scenes providing funds for needed
equipment and repairs to the building as well as bringing experts to the city in support of the
programs at the institute.
The 1945–1946 season explored new realms in the visual arts while keeping the familiar in
place. The Georgia Association of Artists, the exhibition of camellia paintings, photography
by local residents, and the annual exhibitions that ended each season continued. Active
Augusta Art Club member and physician at the medical school Sam Singal showed his work
in a solo show. There was a memorial exhibition dedicated to the work of Flora
Hollingsworth, a long-time member of the Augusta Art Club, and solo exhibitions of
serigraphs by Harry Sternberg and the work of Warren Robinson who had won the second
prize in the All-American Show at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The
Holbrook Collection, twenty-one works of American art from colonial times to the twentieth
century, included paintings by Mary Cassatt, Jasper Cropsey, Thomas Eakins, Childe
Hassam, Robert Henri, George Inness and John Singer Sargent traveled to Augusta. This
was the first time the collection, given to the University of Georgia by the attorney Alfred H.
Holbrook as a memorial to his wife Eva, was shown outside of Athens. The annual circuit
exhibition of contemporary American paintings was organized by the Clearwater Museum in
Florida and circulated among the fledgling museums in the southeast and made its annual
stop in Augusta. It included works by Romare Bearden, George Grosz, and Raphael Soyer
and everything was for sale, with prices ranging from $250.00 to several thousand dollars.
New York galleries also sent exhibitions, the most interesting one was from Perls Gallery,
"Surrealism and Fantasy Art." There was a lecture, "What is Modern Art?" from the
Museum of Modern Art in New York. Art lovers in the area were in for a treat when the
exhibition, Non-Objective Art from the Guggenheim Foundation came to town. There was
also the work of Kahlil Gibran that was on loan from the Telfair Academy of Arts and
Sciences in Savannah.
The final year of Elizabeth Wright's tenure as director was more sedate in the shows that
came to Augusta. The roster included the tried-and-true with a couple of notable exceptions
– there was the Artists of the Western Hemisphere collection from IBM that featured the
work of Diego Rivera among the twenty-two paintings in the exhibition and the Georgiana
show, a collaboration between the Gertrude Herbert and the Richmond County Historical
Society featuring items from the state of Georgia Department of History and Archives.
During the summer of 1947, Leonard Thiessen was named the new director. The Omaha
Nebraska, native had served as that state's Director of the Federal Arts and Writers Program
of the Works Projects Administration, worked in the Office of Intelligence for the Army
during the war, and was formally trained in illustration and interior design. Except for his
military service and two years in Augusta, Thiessen is associated with the visual arts in
Nebraska.
14
The season of 1947–1948 contained the usual annual exhibitions and reflected a focus on the
post-World War II art world, Thiessen's personal interests, and the collaborative efforts
within the community. There were lectures about "Books as Keys to Peace," "The War's
Toll of Italian Art," an exhibition of Coptic cloth, and one on oriental art that was culled
from personal collections within the area. There was an exhibition of scenic art in modern
ballet along with a lecture on the subject from the Museum of Modern Art. There was a
photography exhibit, serigraphs from the National Serigraph Society, and a solo exhibition
of Grace Etheridge's work. Etheridge was the head of the art department at Sidwell Friends
School in Washington D.C., but had spent her childhood in Augusta. Her show coincided
with her high school reunion from Tubman High School, the class of 1923.
A new fundraiser was established in December 1948, an art auction. There was a circus
theme. Refreshments were popcorn and pink lemonade and trustee Joseph Cumming served
as auctioneer. Paintings by local artists and students were auctioned. The event must have
been successful since Cumming served as auctioneer for an art auction fundraiser the
following year.
Theissen's final year as director opened with watercolors and drawings by Kevin Monaghan
from the Fourth (Ivy) Division of the Army. Mrs. Alfred S. Bourne, a winter resident of
Augusta, loaned her collection of prints by John Taylor Arms for exhibition. Watercolors by
Horace Day were also shown. University of Georgia visiting artist and member of the
American Abstract Artists group Carl Holty gave a lecture. New classes were established,
one in sculpture taught by Frances Jordan DeRoller and another in interior design. Theissen
left Augusta for Omaha and donated one of his illustrations for the permanent collection.
Appointed for the 1949–1950 season, Rex Stambaugh's tenure was brief. The Stambaugh
family moved from Ohio to Georgia, where Rex attended high school and Piedmont
College. He then served in the Navy from 1944 to1946 and entered the graduate program at
the University of Georgia, where he was awarded a master in fine arts degree. He came to
Augusta with his wife and young son in the fall of 1949, and it was the first time a family
took up residence in the Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art.
The season saw a formal affiliation established between the institute and Augusta Junior
College that was supported by Rupert Langford, the superintendent of schools in the city.
Miss Louisa Mallard was appointed as the instructor of children's classes, a position she
would hold for decades to come. Individuals and companies in the community sponsored
most of the exhibitions this season. For example, Mrs. Owen R. Cheatham sponsored forty
drawings from the Whitney Museum. The serigraph exhibition was sponsored by Augusta
Lumber Company. One exhibit, "Twentieth Century American and Foreign Watercolors
from the Art Institute of Chicago," was cryptically sponsored by "a business firm of
15
international renown."10 Fourteen lithographs and six bronzes by Pablo Picasso from his
Antipolis series, sponsored by H. H. Claussen's Sons was shown in conjunction with the
children's exhibition sponsored by the Augusta Junior Women's Club. The Georgia Power
Company sponsored the exhibit of sixty-five photographs by Clarence John Laughlin,
Ghosts Along the Mississippi. Davison-Paxon Company sponsored a display of Scalamandre
textiles that were created for the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg and there were solo
exhibitions by Roy Ward, Dr. William Boyd and George Grosz. The season was rounded out
with the annual photography exhibit, Association of Georgia Artists, circuit exhibition of
contemporary American prints, the camellia paintings sponsored by the Sand Hills Garden
Club and the student and adult juried annual exhibitions.
The diversity of classes and the full exhibition schedule brought many people to the building
on Telfair Street. The offerings were increasingly sophisticated and attendance was robust.
Ideas of expansion were in the air.
10
See the scrapbook with the exhibition list for the season.
16
CHAPTER 4
The Fabulous Fifties
The decade was one of great stability for the nation, the city, and the working of the
institute. The area saw a large increase in population with the establishment of Camp
Gordon, the Savannah River Site of the Atomic Energy Commission, and the new dam at
Clarks Hill. There were two directors during this decade, Thelma Brownett and David T.
Jones. Many of the annual exhibitions were predictable, and a network of supporters on the
local, state, and national level facilitated bringing the visual arts to the community. The
addition of physical space and new artistic strategies helped keep the Gertrude Herbert at the
forefront of Augusta's cultural life.
Thelma Brownett was pursuing a master in fine arts degree from the University of Georgia
when she was appointed as director of the institute. A native of Jacksonville, Florida, she
graduated from Wesleyan Conservatory in Macon and continued her studies in England,
France, and New York City. She had taught art at the secondary school level and took over
the adult art classes when she arrived in Augusta. She was the director until the autumn of
1955, maintained a busy exhibition schedule of her own work, and held leadership roles in
state arts organizations.
The exhibition season continued from late September or early October until May. There
were usually twelve exhibitions each season, with each exhibition lasting for two weeks.
Many of them were standard, the exhibition of work by public school students sponsored by
the Junior Women's Club, two exhibitions by Gertrude Herbert art students (the children and
the adults), the juried exhibition of Augusta artists, the Association of Georgia artists, a
circuit exhibition of work by artists from the southeastern region of the country, and the
exhibition of camellia paintings held in conjunction with the Sand Hills Garden Club. In the
few remaining slots, a variety of solo exhibitions, small group exhibitions, collections from
other institutions, and prints or photography rounded out the year. Lectures continued, but a
new feature was an art film series at the public library that was held once each month during
the season.
The 1950–1951 season opened with a solo exhibition by Lamar Dodd. More than two
hundred people attended the opening with Dodd and his wife present. The relationship
between the University of Georgia and the arts in Augusta was strong, and there were
multiple opportunities for collaboration that continued throughout the decade. Other
highlights of the season included a Sunday sidewalk exhibit and art market that was held in
time for Christmas shopping and included works by many of the art professors within the
17
state. Louis Brooks, a former resident of Augusta, gave an etching by Zorn and a
seventeenth century genre scene oil painting by J.M. Molenaer, a Dutch artist and spouse of
the artist Judith Leyster. Brooks had previously given a Rembrandt etching for the growing
permanent collection jointly owned by the Gertrude Herbert and the Augusta Art Club.
Finally, there was a solo exhibition by Ellen Thomas that served as a fund-raiser for Shiloh
orphanage, a local orphanage that was established by leaders of the African American
community.
The next season opened with sixteen paintings by Thelma Brownette. In addition to her
duties as art director, she was the president of the state art educator's association and headed
the art department of Augusta Junior College. In 1952, she successfully completed all the
requirements for her master in fine arts degree from the University of Georgia. An
exhibition of prints, a photography exhibition, portraits by Glascock Reynolds, a solo
exhibition of work by Atlanta artist Jack Buffington, and bird paintings by Charleston artist
John Henry Dick were featured during the year. This was also the season that initiated a film
series. Art-related films were shown the third Monday of each month at the main branch of
the public library and Brownette led a discussion following the film. For example, to
celebrate American Art Week at the beginning of November, a film portraying the making
of a mural by Thomas Hart Benton was shown.
New additions came with the 1952–1953 season. An art class for African American public
school students was initiated and taught by Brownette with a separate exhibition of the
students' work. Lamar Dodd selected the work shown from the Florida artists group, formed
in 1949 to promote the art of the state, with annual exhibitions that traveled in the region. A
two-man exhibition by Sam Singal and Walter Clark, Jr. and two solo exhibitions, one
featuring Ben Shute and the other, Ferdinand Warren were also shown. The film series
continued at the library, and several notable lectures occurred at the Gertrude Herbert.
Popular local artist Ellen Thomas initiated a Sunday afternoon outdoor sketch class that met
at her home on Milledge Road.
There were several familiar themes that season, too. Alfred Holbrook had retired from his
law practice to devote his energy to the collection he donated to the University of Georgia.
The collection was the foundation of the Georgia Art Museum and Holbrook became the
first director of the new institution that was located on the main campus in Athens, Georgia.
Twenty-nine paintings from the Holbrook collection came to Augusta and Holbrook lectured
about the need for fire-proof exhibition space at the institute to enhance the quantity and
quality of art work that could come to the city once insurance companies deemed the space
secure and safe for precious art objects. Subsequently, a committee was formed by members
of the board of the Augusta Art Club and the trustees of the institute to explore the
possibility of a permanent art museum for the community since Ware's Folly was not really
suitable for that purpose. The architectural firm of Scroggs and Ewing proposed a design for
an addition to the building.
18
Knoedler Gallery in New York, the employer of former Augustan Martin Jennings, donated
another painting for the permanent collection, a portrait of a woman, nicknamed "Miss
Marshall," by Sir Thomas Lawrence. There was a lecture about silver by Dr. George B.
Cutten and a lecture by noted author Medora Field Perkerson.
Perkerson was a journalist, author, and friend of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the
Wind. Perkerson wrote several books and came to Augusta to discuss, White Columns in
Georgia, her exploration of the history of the state through historic homes. About two
dozen homes in Augusta, including Ware's Folly, were discussed in the book.
President and Mrs. Eisenhower were frequent visitors to the city and were made honorary
members of the art club. Mrs. Eisenhower was invited to exhibit and, in a letter dated
November 9, 1952, stated, "The thought of seeing the attractive old antebellum mansion is
one of the reasons, too, that I would love to be with you."11
A new fund-raiser, the "Beaux Arts Ball, an evening in Paris," was instituted by the Augusta
Art Club and the Augusta Players and held at the Garden Center (Old Medical College
building). This event was so successful that it was repeated the following year with the
theme, "20,000 Leagues under the Sea."
During the next season, in addition to the regularly scheduled shows, lectures and films, the
Carolina Five: William Halsey, Eugene Massin, Edmund Yaghjian, Gilmer Petroff and
Armando Del Cimmuto exhibited together. The Savannah artists held an exhibition that
included a lecture by Raiford J. Wood, the director of the Telfair Academy of Arts and
Sciences. A lecture and watercolor exhibit by Robert Stockton Rogers, University of
Georgia professor Thad Suits gave a lecture and exhibited his work, and Ellen Thomas had a
solo exhibition. Gilbert Kahn donated an eighteenth century painting of a Spanish landscape
for the permanent collection.
The 1954-1955 season opened with a three person show, Thelma Brownette, Frances
deRoller and Barry Fleming. This would be the final year for Brownette as director,
deRoller was the sculpture and ceramics teacher at the institute, and author Fleming had
recently taken up the serious study of painting and had won an award at the student exhibit
the previous year. Two active duty servicemen stationed in Augusta, Private Anthony
Gruerio and Private Henry Gadbois shared an exhibition, Edward Shorter and Frank Herrin,
Josephine Harrison and Flora Eve, and husband and wife William Halsey and Corrie
McCallum all exhibited in pairs.
11
News Bulletin, Vol. 1, No.2, Jan-March, 1953. see scrapbook.
19
David T. Jones was welcomed to the community with the opening of the following season.
His tenure as director, until 1968, remains the longest of any in the history of the institute.
The rotation of regular exhibitions continued, the film series moved to the Appleby Library,
adult classes were taught by Jones and the children's classes continued with Louise Mallard.
Additional exhibitions relied heavily on the strong network of supporters of the Gertrude
Herbert. There was a joint exhibition of local artists: Margaret Wright, Myrtis McKenzie,
J.D. Gray, Frances deRoller, Sam Singal and Elizabeth Wright. David Reese, the new
director of the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences showed his watercolors of Hilton Head
Island. There was a solo exhibition by Charles Glisson Farr, a former resident of Augusta
and graduate of University of Georgia, a graphics show from the National Association of
Women Artists and a juried show of architectural drawings from the American Institute of
Architects.
The following season opened with an exhibition by David T. Jones. IBM Corporation sent
two exhibits - "Great Painters of the Western World" and a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition on
panels illustrating the artist's sketches and models. Local artists Ellen Thomas, Berry
Fleming, Keith Cowling, an art instructor at Langford School, all were given solo shows. A
group show of local artists Frances deRoller, Victor Moore and Pat Roesell was followed by
a new event, a Christmas gift exhibition with prices of objects between five and twenty-five
dollars. Other solo exhibitions were by George Cress of the University of Chattanooga and
Lamarr Bridgman of Cheraw, South Carolina.
The silver anniversary of the Augusta Art Club was celebrated during the 1957-1958 season.
The season opened with a candlelight tea at the institute and lectures were planned every
third Tuesday at 9 pm. IBM provided the opening exhibition of contemporary British prints.
Another print exhibit, Currier and Ives, came from the collection of Travelers Insurance
Company. Nissan Gallant, a graduate of the Philadelphia Museum and fashion artist for J.B.
White had a solo exhibition. She had recently moved to the city with her husband, medical
student Victor Bernstein. Edmund Yaghjian, chair of the art department at University of
South Carolina had a solo exhibition, as did Frank Gunter and William McCullough. There
was a dual exhibition by husband and wife, Faye Wood and Algernon Allen.
The number of exhibits decreased the following season and plans went ahead for an addition
at the back of the first floor of Ware's Folly. Architects J. Robert McCreary and Willis Irvin
provided the designs at no cost to the institute. The trustees also took responsibility in
distributing awards from the newly created Clara Rountree Mathewson Memorial
Scholarship of Art. Friends of Mrs. Mathewson, a long time member and supporter of the
institute, established this fund.
The exhibits of the season were: Modern painting, Academic America from Knoedler
Gallery, David T. Jones, Twenty-five Etchings and Lithographs from the Associated Artists,
Mobiles and Stabiles by G.W.Owen, pen and wash drawings by John Hulse, the
20
southeastern circuit exhibition from the Atlanta Artists Association, the members exhibition,
and the juried show of work by Augusta artists.
All was in place for the opening of the new gallery. This was the highlight and premier
event for the following season
CHAPTER 5
Sliding into the Tumultuous Sixties
The 19591960 season marked astounding changes as the community entered a decade of
expansion, collaboration, and coming to terms with controversial issues. The population of
the city was at its peak during this time with an influx of residents from Fort Gordon, the
Savannah River Plant, large corporations with facilities in the region, and the numerous
medical facilities. The era of winter residents had slowed to a trickle, as Florida became a
prominent winter and retirement destination. The Augusta Art Club reorganized and
changed its name to the Augusta Art Association.
"A long cherished dream of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art has become a reality at
last," according to a newspaper account of the inaugural exhibit of the 19591960 season.12
The New Gallery, designed by J. Robert McCreary, was located on the ground level and
underneath the newly created first floor brick patio at the rear of the building. The
windowless gallery contained expansive wall space. It was secure and fireproof, two
attributes that were of great importance for insurance purposes. The small permanent
collection, jointly owned by the Augusta Art Club and the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art,
was on display. Among the highlights of the collection were the portrait of Gertrude Herbert
Dunn by Chandor, portraits of each of her parents, "Miss Marshall" by Sir Thomas
Lawrence, a "Madonna and Child" painting by Giovanni Caroto that was a gift from the
Kress Foundation, a Rembrandt etching, a genre scene painting by Molenaer, and a Spanish
landscape painting by Villegos. Horace Day's paintings were displayed in the new space.
Sam Singal, a biochemist at Medical College of Georgia and board member of the Augusta
Art Association, was honored with his first solo exhibition. Another highlight of the season
was Jewels by Dali sponsored by the Owen Cheatham Foundation.
David T. Jones had been the director since 1955 and effectively expanded and forged new
collaborations for the yearly exhibition schedule. Born in New Jersey and reared in
Massachusetts, Jones graduated from Williams College in 1947, and spent two years
acquiring a certificate in sculpture at Yale. By the time he arrived in Augusta, he had been a
professional artist for several years and was deeply interested in addressing the interplay of
the visual arts with music and dance. He used the summer to expand his technical skills,
enrolling in artist residency programs. He created an opera, Oedipus, and a ballet, Tour of
12
Augusta Chronicle, Oct. 3, 1959
21
the Labyrinth that were accompanied by his original illustrations. He designed and painted
scenery for local ballet productions. His wife, the former Harriet Vaughn, or Hatsy, was also
an artist. She was a native of North Augusta, attended classes at the Gertrude Herbert
Institute as a child, and graduated from Winthrop College. The couple often exhibited their
work together and had several exhibitions at the institute. In 1965, their son Gareth was
born. Their apartment in the Ware's Folly building was renovated in anticipation of his birth.
The exhibitions during the first half of the decade included many of the standard offerings.
There were solo exhibitions by Berry Fleming, Mrs. John C. Harden (née Constance Elliot),
Ellen Thomas, Margaret Wright, and Joseph Braid, all local artists. Artists who had newly
established residency in the area also had their work shown such as, Flora Eve and J.D.
Gray, a married couple who relocated because of Gray's employer, the DuPont Corporation
at the Savannah River Site. There was a posthumous exhibition of the work of Dutch artist
Reinhart Dovy, whose daughter was at the Medical College of Georgia. College faculty
members Howard Thomas of University of Georgia and Edmund Yaghjian of University of
South Carolina, Atlanta Art Institute faculty John Brooks and Joel Reeves, and Atlantabased commercial artist Clint Carter, had solo exhibitions. Artists with ties to the region
included Horace Day, the first director of the institute, and Julian Lamar, a former resident
of Augusta. Students in the classes held at the institute, the annual members of the Augusta
Art Association exhibition, the camellia show, and a juried exhibition formerly called the
Augusta art show was replaced with the annual CSRA art exhibit. First held in 1962, this
exhibit purposefully reflected the expansion of the region into the Central Savannah River
Area, an area encompassing a dozen counties in Georgia and the surrounding area in South
Carolina as far as Aiken. The collaboration continued between Fort Gordon and the institute
with the annual exhibitions and select solo exhibitions including the work of Sgt. Vu Hoi, a
soldier stationed at Fort Gordon, who had been a professor of art in his native country of
Vietnam. There was a series concerning medical illustrations. Collectors generously
exhibited work including, rare books from the collection of Alonzo Boardman, the Holbrook
collection from the University of Georgia with a lecture by Mr. Holbrook, now the director
of the museum on campus. Forty works were offered for sale that were created by
Rhodesian boys and presented by Miss Ruth Bartholemew of Paine College, who had been a
missionary in Africa. The Ford Foundation provided exhibits and films in several instances
including a look at the work of faculty from colleges throughout the nation, art inspired by
travel in Mexico, and New England landscapes. An exhibit of 18th and 19th century
paintings was displayed from the collection of IBM Corporation. Beginning in 1961, live
music accompanied the opening of an exhibition and often a lecture or film was associated
with each exhibition.
Classes continued on site with Jones teaching adults and Louisa Mallard teaching children.
The Clara R. Mathewson Memorial Scholarship enabled three children each session to take
classes with Miss Mallard. The Borrow and Buy Gallery continued on the third floor of the
building under the direction of Suzanne Beaufort. Increased activity meant that the building
22
was not closed during the summer but remained open for classes and exhibitions so that
members of the community and visitors to the area could view and participate in the visual
arts.
Even with extra exhibition space, the dream of a freestanding art center resurfaced. In 1962,
David T. Jones created a model for an art center that included studios for painting, sculpture,
and ceramics. Additional space was designated for a large auditorium, practice rooms for
musicians, theater rehearsal rooms, and an art gallery. The idea was to place the building
behind Ware's Folly close to the Augusta Museum and across from the Augusta Municipal
Building. A panel was formed consisting of Jones, Mayor Millard Beckum, Augusta
Chronicle editor Louis C. Harris, Augusta Symphony director Harry M. Jacobs, and
Gertrude Herbert trustee Joseph Cumming. It was moderated by Augusta Art Association
member Dr. Thomas Findley and convened to bring this idea to the public. The center would
become the home of "the Augusta Symphony, Music Club, Organ Guild, Augusta Players,
Choral Society, Camera Club, and possibly a civic ballet and the Medical Arts series…"13
Findley stated that the area was, "lagging behind cities of substantially the same size."14
As the trustees of the institute and the board of the Augusta Art Association assessed the
future needs of the area, they also celebrated their past accomplishments. The 1962–1963
season opened with the 30th Anniversary Favorite Picture Exhibit. Instead of the bridge
parties, auctions, and gatherings at hotels, the paintings were exhibited in the lobbies of
several banks and businesses along Broad Street. Local businesses replaced the winter
visitors as the major supporters of the institute's activities. Another level of support came
with the arrival of Robert Allen Davis and his wife Barbara, professional artists from New
York City, and Freeman Schoolcraft, renowned sculptor who relocated with his family from
Chicago.
Robert Davis had been an art professor at Marymount College in New York City and his
wife was a commercial artist and dress designer. They purchased a home and studio on
Walton Way and conducted art classes. Their students exhibited work annually at the
Gertrude Herbert beginning in 1966. Schoolcraft was recovering from a heart attack when
he and his wife, Augusta native Cora (née Middleton), decided it was time to move to a
more suitable climate. Schoolcraft taught at Augusta College, exhibited widely, and became
an active member of the Augusta Art Association.
During this period, there was a concerted effort to bring a higher caliber of art into the city
for exhibition instead of relying on local artists, the regular rotation of exhibits, or artists
with ties to the area. To inaugurate the 1966 season, fifty paintings and illustrations by
Maxfield Parrish were exhibited. Sent from the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum
in Springfield, Massachusetts, it was the first time Parrish's work had been exhibited in the
South and Freeman Schoolcraft expertly installed the exhibition.
13
14
Hetterer, Joe, "Art center 'dream' told," The Augusta Chronicle, May 30, 1962.
Ibid.
23
Other exhibits during this period included solo exhibitions by Schoolcraft, Aylett Lapsley
Wood, Doris Weltch, illuminated manuscripts and liturgical designs by Nancy Alexander
Wilds, Ferdinand Warren who was the chair of Agnes Scott College's art department,
Miriam Earls Smith, Joseph Schwarz of the art department of University of Georgia, and
prominent Charleston artists and married couple William Halsey and Corrie McCallum. The
U.S. Army established the Army Combat Artist Program to record military activities in
Vietnam and Hawaii and artists from Fort Gordon participated. Their work was exhibited
and three of the teachers in the program, Blaine T. Eldridge, Fitzallen N. Yow, and Jotham
W. Bailey exhibited their work.
1968 was a year of vast changes. In March, a group gathered at Aldersgate Methodist
Church to form the Greater Augusta Arts Council. Their goal was to find funds for a new
auditorium, hire a full time director, launch a united fund drive for the arts, coordinate
activities, and improve communication. A bumper sticker campaign, SUPPORT YOUR
LOCAL ART ASSOCIATION, highlighted their goals. David T. Jones resigned as director
in the spring of 1968 in order to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Georgia.
Louisa Mustin resigned as instructor during this period. The Borrow and Buy Gallery moved
next door to Trowbridge House. This home was purchased by Historic Augusta, and leased
to the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art for additional classrooms and meeting rooms. Upon
the death of Robert Davis, a memorial award was established in his name for the best work
of art in the annual member show of the Augusta Art Association. Groundbreaking for the
Fine Arts Center at Augusta College occurred in March and the center was completed and
inaugurated on October 27, 1968.
When classes began in the fall of 1968, the make-up of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art
was considerably changed. Clement de Baillou was the new director. He had been the
director of the Augusta Museum for several years at that point. A native of Austria who
came to the United States in 1941, he was educated at the Imperial Academy in Salzburg
and had taught in the department of anthropology and archeology at the University of
Georgia. Marjorie Topman, A. Wolfe Davidson and Kenneth Willis were hired as instructors
and classes were taught year round. For the first time in the history of the institute, the
director was not a working artist and did not teach classes.
Events were soon spread out between the Ware's Folly building, the courtyard and interior of
the Augusta Museum, and Augusta College. The fundraising gala in the fall of 1969 was
collaboration between the Augusta Art Association, Augusta Museum, and the Junior
Women's Club. The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art was losing its identity.
24
CHAPTER 6
Survival Mode in the Seventies
The seventies was a decade of great turmoil for the community and for the institute. Racial
unrest led to a riot after a disabled incarcerated youth was killed in the county jail. 15 The
neighborhood surrounding Ware's Folly fell into disrepair and there were safety concerns.
The historic building and the surrounding garden were in need of major repairs. Clement de
Baillou, ensconced as the director of both the Augusta Museum and the Gertrude Herbert
Institute of Art, expressed more allegiance to the activities of the former at the expense of
the latter. In addition, there were many more venues within the city for visual arts
exhibitions, lessons, and programs. The Augusta Art Association, a charter member of the
Greater Augusta Arts Council, continued to hold the annual members show at the institute
but many other exhibits under their sponsorship were held at the Fine Arts Center on the
college campus, the outside courtyard adjacent to the Augusta History Museum, Julian
Smith Casino, Daniel Village, Regency Mall, the main and Maxwell branch of the library,
hotels, banks, and the newly completed Chamber of Commerce Building designed by I.M.
Pei and Associates, in the middle of Broad Street. As the decade wore on, the number of
classes offered diminished, the building was under utilized, and the focus shifted away from
its original mission to provide education in the visual arts and opportunities to see high
caliber art exhibitions.
The first arts festival sponsored by the Greater Augusta Arts Council was held in April
1971, and there were art exhibits at several different locations. At the institute an exhibit
featuring international World War I posters was on view while the museum showed an
exhibit of early and modern portrait paintings. Classes that season were limited to painting
and drawing for children and adults. Lectures and films that had formerly been shown in the
Ware's Folly building relocated to the fine arts center at the college. A courtyard art exhibit
was held on the grounds of the Augusta Museum. In addition to the members show, there
were exhibits by members of the Aiken Artist Guild, the faculty of the institute, the art
department of the University of Georgia, and the Old Bergen Art Guild watercolors from the
American Watercolor Society.
The following season the building was used even less. There was an antiques show and sale
sponsored by Historic Augusta, an arts and crafts show sponsored by the Augusta Junior
Women's Club, and a slightly more robust class schedule. Exhibitions in addition to the
Augusta Art Association member show included, the work of the faculty of the institute,
15
Stachura, Sea, Looking Back at Augusta's Race Riot, February 28,2012.gbp.org
25
several Augusta residents, an exhibit sent from the American Watercolor Society, and one
from artists from Greenwood, South Carolina. During the second arts festival, Dr. H. Lester
Cooke, the curator of paintings for the National Gallery of Art and a former U.S. Army
combat artist, exhibited his work and gave a lecture. At the same time the Augusta Museum
staged an exhibition by University of Georgia faculty. Classes were offered during the
summer in an effort to boost income and increase building utilization.
Mrs. Lloyd Griscom (née Olivia A. Dunn, known as Anton), a daughter of Gertrude Herbert
Dunn, visited the city and gave a cocktail party for friends, trustees of the institute and
members of the art association. Two years later, she expressed an interest in endowing a
memorial garden on the grounds of the institute. 16
Programs and exhibits limped along during the middle of the decade. Classes were held year
round for children and adults. In addition to drawing and painting, there were crafts classes
in pottery and weaving. Most exhibitions were confined to the work of amateur artists in the
community, such as a group from the Westwick neighborhood, professionals at the Medical
College of Georgia who painted as a hobby, and members of nearby art guilds. Exceptions
were an exhibition of posters from the Smithsonian and one featuring the work of newspaper
cartoonists. The Augusta Children's Theater group did not have a permanent home and held
drama classes for children at the institute.
By late 1974 plans were underway for the revitalization of downtown Augusta and it was
apparent that the grounds and Ware's Folly building were in dire need of extensive repairs.
The Trowbridge House next door was deemed unnecessary for the activities of the institute
and reverted back to Historic Augusta. A fund drive was initiated since the endowment was
not sufficient to cover the mounting costs of repairs and a matching grant was secured from
the National Park Service for $10,000. 17 With the generosity of the community, the match
was achieved but the process took several years. The building closed during the summer of
1978 while a new water heater, heating and air-conditioning system, plasterwork, interior
and exterior painting, and replacement gutters were completed.
Membership of the Augusta Art Association dwindled substantially during this period to
several dozen members. Other organizations such as the Augusta Children's Theater and the
Augusta Freelance Photographer's Association were using Ware's Folly to conduct classes
and the regular art classes were under-enrolled. The association voted to make all exhibits
free and open to the public and commissioned a plaque for the front of the building that is
still in place. The Sand Hills Garden Club donated funds to repair the brick walls, walkways,
and plant a garden on the grounds. Students studying landscape architecture at the
University of Georgia furnished the garden design and execution. Babcock and Wilcox
Board of Trustees minutes, September 1974.
Department of Natural Resources letter from Commissioner Joe D. Tanner to Trustee Robert McCreary,
June 4, 1976.
16
17
26
Company donated materials for a new ceramics kiln that was sorely needed in order to
continue pottery classes.
After de Baillou resigned during the winter of 1978, and a brief interlude with an acting
director, the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art appointed Edward Rice as the new director in
March 1979. Rice was a breath of fresh air for the institute. A native of North Augusta, he
had taken classes at the institute, won awards for his art in Georgia and South Carolina,
studied with his father-in-law Freeman Schoolcraft. His wife Faye (née Schoolcraft) was a
working artist and weaving teacher at the institute. He was the last director to live in the first
floor apartment at Ware's Folly. Rice's profound knowledge of art, fascination with historic
architecture, and deep appreciation of regional history, set the wheels in motion to rebuild
the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art into a vibrant presence in the CSRA. The quality and
quantity of lessons, programs, and exhibitions increased during his tenure, and many of the
participants remain dedicated to the institute today. The inaugural Agnes Markwalter Youth
Art Competition, honoring the memory of a gifted art student whose career was cut short in
an accident,18 was held that year. The competition and accompanying juried exhibition is
open to students from kindergarten through the twelfth grade throughout the region and
recognizes art students and their teachers and continues to the present.
The structure and vision were now in place for the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art to
reclaim its position as a premier arts center in the community.
18
Gertrude Herbert Press Release, March 7, 2013.
27
CHAPTER 7
Reassess, Reinvent and Reinvigorate
In the 1980s
The relationship between the Augusta Art Association and the Gertrude Herbert Institute of
Art was in need of reevaluation. Both groups called the Ware's Folly building its home but
there was a duplication of tasks in some instances, and a feeling of working at crosspurposes at other times. The downtown push for revitalization had not yet reached the corner
of Telfair Street where the building was located, and there was a merry-go-round of
directors during the decade. Some difficult decisions had to be made about the purpose of
the institute as dictated by its by-laws, the physical needs of an old building in a crumbling
neighborhood, and the focus of the community away from the downtown area and into the
surrounding suburbs. These decisions affected the quantity and quality of educational
offerings and exhibitions.
Edward Rice's leadership as the director of the institute brought stability as he and the
trustees grappled with the myriad considerations necessary to streamline and redefine the
role of the Gertrude Herbert Institute in the life of the community. In a planning session
attended by Rice and four of the trustees,19 the committee summarized their concerns. The
biggest issues were that the relationship between the Augusta Art Association and the
Gertrude Herbert Institute needed to be delineated. Additionally, more funding was
necessary and the group explored options for achieving that goal. The role of the institute as
an educational facility was primary and the committee grappled with how art exhibits and
the permanent collection fit into the educational component. The use of the building for
other purposes such as meetings and weddings was questioned, in order to have a unified set
of rules when renting out the space. Finally, the aging Ware's Folly building was of great
concern. Items in the house were in the process of being sold off and the escalating cost of
maintaining the structure called into question whether or not the house should cease to
function as an art institute and, instead, become a house museum.
The number of exhibits decreased but new features were added to the calendar of events.
Rice gave slide lectures on a regular basis such as, the Spanish Masters of the 15th through
20th centuries, obtained from the National Gallery of Art. The Georgia Art Bus made
Letter from Edward C. Austell, July 10, 1980, containing a summary of the comments made during the
planning meeting. Those in attendance were: Robert McCreary, Dr. Joseph Lee, Mrs. Jane H. Schnorbach,
Edward Rice and Edward C. Austell.
19
28
regular stops at the institute and showed the work of Georgia residents over the age of 17
who created art without outside supervision. Workshops were scheduled throughout the year
with the institute receiving a percentage of the workshop fee. Basketry, photography and
papermaking were popular topics for workshops and occurred at regular intervals throughout
the decade. Great interest in weaving and fiber arts resulted in classes, exhibits, and
workshops. The Greater Augusta Floral Association decorated the institute inside and out
and Visions of Christmas became an annual event.
In addition to the members, students, and juried regional exhibitions, the use of the building
as a venue for art diminished with the number of other available locations increasing. Many
exhibits still depended on the network of art professors in nearby universities and working
artists in the region. Boyd Saunders of University of South Carolina and Bernie Solomon of
Georgia Southern College showed their work at solo exhibitions. David Stuart of Aiken,
Guy Lipscomb of Columbia, South Carolina, Jackson Cheatham of Thomson, Lamar Wood
and Paul Vincent of Athens were among the artists exhibiting work during the early 1980s.
Traveling shows from Springs Mills, American Watercolor Society, and Georgia Watercolor
Society continued to use the institute.
Students enrolled at the School of Environmental Design in the University of Georgia
completed a comprehensive plan of the Ware's Folly property20 and the landscape was
enhanced with walls, walkways, and period plants with the generosity of the Sand Hills
Garden Club and an additional donation from the Gateway Garden Club. The interior of the
building did not fare as well during this period. Furniture, including a piano, and a loom
were sold off, and a yard sale of surplus art supplies was held.
Edward Rice resigned as the director in the spring of 1982 but continued as a member of the
faculty. The apartment within the building was leased to a couple who pledged twenty hours
of custodial duties in exchange for rent. Two board members, Nancy Gary and Kay Allen,
each briefly served as the director of the institute until Barney Lamar was hired as director
in March 1984.
During these years the financial strain was becoming more and more apparent. The costs of
maintaining the building were increasing as enrollment in classes was decreasing. The Porter
Fleming Foundation provided funds for a children's workshop that was taught by Lucy
Weigle. Bea Kuhlke was on the faculty during this period and displayed her work alongside
the work of her students. Both artists continue their avid support of the institute to the
present.
The membership of the art association was at an all-time low point, the financial situation of
the institute was dim, and a memorial fund in honor of Freeman Schoolcraft was established
Preservation Planning, Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, School of Environmental Design, University of
Georgia, Athens, Georgia, undated.
20
29
and used as an award to an outstanding art student at Augusta College. Lamar, during his
one-year tenure as director, sought to make the best use of the institute and increase the
awareness of the offerings and events that were held there.
A larger focus on music was notable during this period. The students of the Augusta Music
Teachers Association held recitals, a Baroque/Handel exhibit featuring posters and music
was held, and a series of Coffee House concerts was initiated. The popular series, held for
several years, featured chamber music, pastries, and coffee at a cost of six dollars per ticket.
There was an exhibit of sixteenth century prints by Dürer and his contemporaries from
Child's Gallery in Boston, German art of the twentieth century from the collection of
Lufthansa airlines, and several prints by German expressionist artists entered into the
collection. A community foundation grant in the amount of six thousand dollars was used to
paint the exterior of the building.
After Lamar resigned to work in his chosen professional field of restoration at Biltmore
House in Asheville, North Carolina, Anne Hebebrand was hired as the director in May of
1985. Hebebrand, a native of West Germany, had moved to Augusta while her husband was
a medical student at the Medical College of Georgia. She had attended the International
School of Arts in Salzburg, Austria, the Atlanta College of Art, received her undergraduate
degree at the Boston Museum School and a graduate degree in art history from the
University of Alabama.
The business of running an enterprise devoted to art was in the forefront of Hebebrand's
many tasks as director. There was a fund drive from the "Help Herbert Club" and one aimed
at corporations. There was a gala and silent auction of artwork. The 250th anniversary of the
founding of the city was celebrated with an art exhibit, The Spirit of Augusta. A series was
created that discussed the art of gardening and a lecture titled, "The Business of Art and
Craft," included a panel discussion by George Ann Knox, Edward Rice and Lyn Perry.
Among the solo exhibits of this period were the work of Irene Dodd, the daughter of Lamar
Dodd and faculty member of Valdosta State College, Sidney Guberman, Nellie Mae Rowe,
a Freeman Schoolcraft retrospective, and Berry Fleming's watercolors in the exhibit,
Adventures in Color.
Group exhibitions of Georgia mountain crafts, work by fiber artists and regional artists,
photography, and a faculty exhibit from the Savannah College of Design occurred at this
time. Workshops, including a weaving workshop for school children sponsored by the
Augusta Junior League, and the coffee concerts continued. New additions were a "Meet the
Artist" series, a "Lunch and Learn" series and "Super Sunday" where parents and children
met the art faculty and experienced the classes that were available the coming season. A
docent program was initiated in an effort to have ample volunteers for the many offerings
held at the institute.
30
In the summer of 1986, the first mention of plans to merge the Augusta Art Association and
the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art was recorded in the minutes of each entity. Several
called meetings by the art association explored the proposal. From a few dozen members in
the early 1980s, a push for new members resulted in a list of almost two hundred members
by this time. Competition for grants and overlapping of sponsorship for workshops and
exhibitions were the two largest concerns. According to the by-laws of the Gertrude Herbert
Institute of Art, the name had to remain which meant that the Augusta Art Association, upon
merging, would cease to exist. Room was made on the board of trustees of the new entity to
include a number of members from the art association board and, in the summer of 1987, the
merger was completed.
The first membership drive for the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art was held in the fall of
1987. By that time, two fundraisers, Beaux Art '87 and one the following year had
reinvigorated the endeavors held at Ware's Folly in a unified program. At this time, the
minutes of the board mentioned that Billy Morris was planning a new art museum in
downtown Augusta.
In the fall of 1988, a new director, Dee Hutchens Templeton, was hired. She had spent
seventeen years in the banking industry and brought fresh ideas to the enterprise. There were
solo exhibitions by Jack Leigh, Kath Girder-Engler and the Morris Eminent Chair at
Augusta College - James Rosen. There was a group show of works by women artists, three
fiber artists, and four points of view of the southern terrain. The Cochran Collection,
assembled by Missy and Wes Cochran of LaGrange, Georgia, made its first appearance at
the institute in 1988 with the exhibition of 20th century graphic art. The next year works by
Andy Warhol in the Cochran Collection were exhibited. The admission for that exhibit was
a can of Campbell's soup. The donated cans were sent to the Salvation Army for their soup
kitchen.
Calamity ensued in March 1989, when approximately a ton of plaster fell into the main
gallery as the ceiling caved in. Luckily neither people nor artwork were hurt and the pieces
of plaster were subsequently used by artists in the community to create works that raised
funds for the Gertrude Herbert.
Through a decade of taking a long, hard look at the community, the visual arts, and the
interaction of the two at the institute, a new and improved institution rose to meet the future.
31
CHAPTER 8
The 1990s
Streamline, Focus, and Set the Course
The decade was marked by increasing awareness of defining an image and purpose for the
institute while keeping the historic property intact. The three directors during this period,
Dee Templeton, Sharon White Gruber, and Amy Etheridge Meybohm, were adept at
financial development and initiated several long-range plans that brought the institute higher
visibility and increased grant money. Thoughtfully curated exhibitions, expansion of the
property, the establishment of an endowment, new collaborative projects, and the creation of
classes both on and off-site were among the highlights of the 1990s. Throughout the decade,
the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries acknowledged the Gertrude Herbert
Institute of Art with several awards including, institution of the year, education program of
the year, art patron of the year, and outreach program of the year.
Classes, workshops, and the popular coffee house concerts continued with the same
frequency as in the previous few years but the endowment established during the creation of
the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art could no longer sustain the institute. In addition, there
was a new venue for the visual arts when the Morris Museum of Art opened its doors to the
public in September 1992. The core mission of the Morris Museum of Art differed in that it
was established to display works of art depicting the southern states, show the work of
artists born or with a long residency in the South, and contained the Center for the Study of
Southern Art, a reference library. Teaching classes, the slide registry of works of art by
contemporary artists in the region, and assistance to local artists to network were part of the
mission of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. A new long-range plan addressing the
financial needs of the institute, a focus on quality exhibitions, increasing membership, and a
strong focus on education in the community was drafted by the board of trustees in 1992.
The purpose of the institute was stated "to coordinate, promote and develop the visual arts,
provide facilities for teaching and educational opportunities, enrichment and exposure of
local artists and their work to the people of our community."21
Two years later, a new long-range plan with three goals: preserve capital, improve the
building, and improve the quality of exhibitions was produced. Incoming funds were to be
split between the endowment, the operating budget, and for the maintenance of the
building.22 The final long-range plan of the decade was formulated in 1997 after a retreat,
21
22
Board of Trustees minutes, June 17, 1992.
Board of Trustees minutes, February 16, 1994.
32
and with the aid of professional facilitators.23 The new set of goals, designed to carry the
institute successfully into the new millennium were very specific. Foremost was education
and the promotion of the visual arts, followed by preserving the Ware's Folly building,
increasing available funds, providing support for local artists, and marketing the institute.
With those goals in mind the board of trustees was reorganized into task groups with
specific aims to help bring the goals to fruition.
The building was constantly in need of maintenance and repair and the board sold off shares
of stock in its endowment fund to meet financial obligations. Night classes and the rental of
the building ceased because of concerns about the neighborhood and the condition of the
building. The Beaux Arts Gala and Auction (1990), Spring Fling (1991), and A Fall Affair
(1991 and 1992) helped with the financial squeeze but different efforts were needed. The
board of trustees made the decision to deaccession some of the paintings in the collection
and sold them at Sotheby's, in New York City, to establish a new endowment fund. Three
members of the community, with the approval of the board, oversaw the fund, which was
incorporated as a separate entity from the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art on August 25,
1992. The auction of the paintings and a substantial portion of proceeds from the galas
created a nest egg for the endowment fund in excess of $300,000.
The number of exhibitions and their quality was addressed during the first half of the
decade. The new plan was to hold three "fancy" openings each season with six exhibitions
using the main gallery and the second floor gallery simultaneously. Openings had a party
atmosphere with a short lecture by a prominent speaker or the featured artist. Highlights of
this period included, works from the South Carolina State Collection, 19th century French
prints in one exhibition and women printmakers in another from the Georgia Museum of
Art, American paintings in Georgia museums, and work by art professors of the Georgia
university system. There were solo exhibitions by Lamar Dodd, Nashville artist Charles
Brindley, Morris Eminent Scholar at Augusta College James Rosen presented a
retrospective of his works on paper, and Michael Crouch exhibited urban and suburban
landscapes. The usual juried exhibition, members show, and the end of the season display of
faculty and students of the institute continued. Due to the success of more tightly focused
exhibitions, several innovated shows were held at the institute during the latter part of the
decade.
David Houston from Clemson University curated the 1996 exhibition, Survivals, Revivals
and Arrivals. The exhibit featured the work of thirty-four artists from the region and several
hundred patrons attended the opening. Several months later, the institute celebrated its
sixtieth anniversary with a show juried by Morris Eminent Scholar Philip Morsberger,
architect Al Cheatham, and director of the Georgia Museum of Art, Bill Eiland. This exhibit
focused on the architecture of the Ware's Folly building and the spirit of the Gertrude
23
Five Year Strategic Plan, The Business Consulting Group, Inc. June, 1997.
33
Herbert Institute of Art. The year closed with the exhibit, Pottery in the Edgefield
Traditions, from local collections curated by Stephen Ferrell. Though the pottery from this
area is now well known and studied, this exhibit was only the second large exhibit devoted
to the subject. Dave who inscribed a pot with this inscription created one piece, "Give me
silver or either gold, though they are dangerous to our soul." Local traditions were presented
several months later when At the Anvil, featured twenty contemporary artists highlighting
blacksmithing skills.
Brett Cook-Dizney, a former student of Philip Morsberger at the University of California at
Berkeley, described his work as permissional and nonpermissional meaning that some
examples of his work was clearly graffiti art created without permission but always
addressed a political or social theme. He used enameled spray paint to create a
commissioned work for the exhibit, Redefining the Pejorative: is it good or is it bad? The
work, a diptych of James Brown and William S. Morris III, was displayed on Broad Street
and continues to be part of the Gertrude Herbert's permanent collection.
Other exhibitions coincided with featuring artists whose work was in the collection of the
Morris Museum of Art including Elemore Morgan, Jr., Edward Rice, Arless Day, James
Lyle, and Jackson Cheatham. When the Mary Pauline Gallery opened in 1998, the artists
associated with the gallery were also included in exhibitions at the institute including Kath
Girdler-Engler, Lanny Webb, and Luke Allsbrook.
Collaborations with other organizations also increased the visibility of the institute.
The offices of Governor Zell Miller and United States Senator Wyche Fowler had a
selection of art sent from the Gertrude Herbert Institute for a limited period. A monthly
enrichment series at lunch-time focused on a single topic such as, the Helga series by
Andrew Wyeth, Japanese art and bonsai trees, the collection at the National Gallery of Art,
and the work of Keith Haring. An evening program, "Meet the Artist," was also created.
Topics included, a lecture about Augusta architecture by Eric Montgomery, AfricanAmerican art by Dr. James Carter, individual artist talks by Bea Kuhlke, Edward Rice and
Jackson Cheatham. The Lucy Craft Laney Museum and the institute collaborated with artist
Margaret Ramsey for a story-telling family workshop. With financial support from several
foundations, out-reach programs were established. In concert with the Richmond County
Recreation Department, the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art sponsored Arts in the Park,
which brought art teachers into area parks to give children an opportunity to create unique
works of art. The program was an award winner from the Georgia Association of Galleries
and Museums. Another award winning program, in collaboration with the YMCA, was
PrimeTime, an after school art program that provided twenty-three art instructors at twentyone locations in the area. The institute adopted the Peter S. Craig elementary school and
enhanced their curriculum with art lessons by the faculty of the institute. The Creel
Foundation, Buttolph Foundation, Ronald McDonald Child Charities, the Junior League of
Augusta, the Bulbs and Borders Garden Club, and the Knox Foundation provided grant
34
money that allowed the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art to develop an unparalleled outreach
program for the benefit of the children in the community. When philanthropist Peter S.
Knox III passed away, the institute honored his memory with a bronze plaque created by
Jackson Cheatham and attached it to the brick wall of the building adjacent to the back
garden.
Expansion also pertained to the regularly scheduled classes and workshops.
35
CHAPTER 9
Staying the Course 2001–2012
The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art entered the twenty-first century fiscally sound and
with defined goals. The commitment to community education in the visual arts and
supporting local artists and art teachers were well established. Ware's Folly, the newly
renovated adjacent building, and satellite classes in Columbia County provided ample space
to hold classes. The separate endowment was well funded and thoughtfully managed, and
great effort was put into ensuring programs, the property, and the endowment would
continue to thrive. Exhibitions, membership, and collaborations with other art groups
continued on an already established trajectory. Three directors during this period, Amy
Etheridge, Kim Overstreet, and Rebekah Henry Murphy executed their myriad duties in a
way that kept the institute visible as a vital component of the vibrant arts community in the
region.
The building located behind Ware's Folly had been purchased and a six-month total
renovation ensued. The building provided much needed space. The kiln, potter's wheel, and
darkroom allowed for specialty classes in photography and ceramics to be added to the
curriculum. Looms, included two donated by the Medical College of Georgia, were
necessary for the weaving classes held in the building. One of the art teachers said:
"I love the idea that we have taken something that would have been demolished and saved it
and made it something beautiful and useful. To me, that speaks to the very nature of art. It's
like taking a blank canvas and making something out of it. So every time I come here, it is
an inspiration to create."24
On September 14, 2001, a date that coincided with the Arts in the Heart of Augusta festival,
the building was dedicated and named the Walker-Mackenzie Studio in honor of GeorgeAnn Knox's parents.
A few new elements were added to the Ware's Folly building, some not completely by
choice. The front portico was extensively repaired and the building was once again offered
as an event venue. On June 21, 2011, a summer storm caused extensive damage to the
building necessitating further repairs. On an artistic note, the Creel-Harison Community Art
Gallery was created on the third floor of the building and dedicated for rotating six-week
exhibitions by local artists.
24
Steven Uhles, Augusta Chronicle, Art History, Aug. 10, 2001.
36
In addition to art classes offered for students ranging from toddlers to adults, professional
development workshops were held for art teachers beginning in 2000. The institute is the
only site approved for professional learning units (PLU) in the visual arts in the state of
Georgia.25 Previous educational outreach projects including Prime Time, Art Ventures, and
Artist-in-Residence continued. Added programs included, Art Box for toddlers and two
programs, If These Walls Could Talk and Art, Architecture and You, were added during this
period. Education continues as the primary focus of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art and
was recognized twice during this period with an award by the Georgia Art Education
Association for youth exhibitions and to Dorothy Eckmann as art educator of the year.
With budding artists and art teachers soundly supported, it was time to make sure that
patrons also felt included in the activities of the institute. The Contemporaries, a group of
individuals interested in art was formed in collaboration with the Morris Museum of Art.
This group planned social activities that included an opportunity to experience the visual
arts. The Art Market first held in December and later moved to the spring continued as a
collaboration between individual artists and the institute. There were collaborations with the
Art Factory, until they ceased operations in 2012, and had many of their programs absorbed
between the institute and the Jessye Norman School of the Arts. Other collaborations aimed
at appealing to a wider audience were, a workshop with artist Virginia Derryberry sponsored
by the institute and the Morris Museum of Art, a four day photography festival sponsored by
the two institutions and the Lucy Craft Laney Museum, and an exhibition by members of the
Augusta Training Shop that was sponsored by the institute, Safe Homes of Augusta, and the
Rape Crisis Center.
The faculty of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art and Augusta State University exhibited
regularly, local artists and students graduating with a bachelor of fine arts at the university
were welcome to exhibit as space permitted. Anne Hebebrand who was once the director of
the institute showed her work, as did Lucy Weigle, Malaika Favorite, Melinda Lampkin, and
Bill Rossignol. Rossignol, one of the founding members of the Augusta Art Club, board of
trustees member, and a personal friend of Olivia Herbert's granddaughter, pursued painting
seriously after his retirement from the banking industry. The Agnes Markwalter Youth
Competition and the national juried competition, A Sense of Place, continue to the present.
The half of the diptych by Brett Cook-Dizney was displayed as part of the James Brown
Music Festival in 2006 and plans are underway to display it in the near future.
Support by foundations, local garden clubs, individual members, and corporations have been
the lifeblood of the institute. Educational programs, exhibitions, and outreach activities
would be impossible without their help. A case in point is the solo exhibition, No Bounds,
showcasing the work of Cuban-born artist Luis Cruz Azaceta. The exhibit and
25
Board of Trustees minutes, June, 20, 2007.
37
accompanying catalogue, with an essay by Dr. Teresa Eckmann and interview between the
artist and Morris Eminent Scholar Tom Nakashima, included work that the artist created
while the Lamar Dodd artist in residence at the University of Georgia.
Festive fundraisers are a continuing component of the institute and there are frequently
oysters involved. As early as the 1990s, there were regular oyster roasts as a fundraiser that
eventually evolved into the annual "Oysters on Telfair" event, first held on November 3,
2005. The décor was enhanced by flower arrangements in large galvanized tubs decorated
by local artists that were then auctioned off. Since then, the event has been held the first
Thursday in November and the silent auction of works by local artists is an integral part of
the party.
A milestone occurred in 2012 when the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art celebrated its
seventy-fifth anniversary. Having navigated numerous victories and obstacles it was time to
acknowledge the institute with an event befitting its place as the oldest visual arts venue in
the CSRA.
38
CHAPTER 10
75th Anniversary
Acknowledge the Past and Look to the Future
The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary with a series of
events on a single weekend. There was an illustrated time line featuring seventy-five
milestones and memories during its history displayed in the main gallery, a Saturday
evening gala, and a family open house on Sunday afternoon. Uncovering the history of the
institute through research by this author revealed many little known facts that illustrated the
support, talent, and tenacity of those who were enriched by the offerings of the institute
through the years. After the gala weekend, a grant proposal was submitted to the Porter
Fleming Foundation and was awarded to prepare this publication. It is fitting that the Porter
Fleming Foundation was the brainchild of Berry Fleming, an artist, author, and
philanthropist, who worked tirelessly on behalf of the institute as a member of the Board of
Trustees, and exhibited his paintings there on numerous occasions.
The visual time line included photographs, newspaper articles, and reminisces by members
of the community. There were paintings on exhibit by Horace Talmage Day, on loan from
the Morris Museum of Art, Berry Fleming, on loan from the Berry Fleming Trust, and
Lamar Dodd. A silent auction of paintings and prints by Edward Rice, Lucy Weigle, Jackson
Cheatham, and Sam Singal were generously donated. In a nod to the future, the public was
invited to submit digital photos via #GERTRUDEHERBERT75 for an Instagram challenge.
Seventy-five photos were selected for printing by Brent Cline, a commercial photographer,
and Nicole McLeod, director of marketing and public relations at the Morris Museum of
Art. There were prizes for the best of show, a people's choice award, and the photos were
then available for purchase. On Sunday afternoon the building was open to families and
there were several art activities for the children.
Following are the memories of members of the community who have helped make the
Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art the treasure that it is.
I am amazed how this grand old home – once dubbed a ‘folly’ – inspires reflection and
creativity in all who enter. What a unique and beautiful resource, the duality of historic
details (the 1865 window pane inscription) and contemporary art (thoughtful exhibits
and classes) the institute provides the community. I cherish many memories from that
time at “The Gertie” including my orientation on how to manually crank the elevator
down should it get stuck, the discovery of an exquisite figure study deep in the recesses of
39
the attic, and the renovation and addition of the Walker-McKenzie Studio. Ultimately, it
is the people who make a place special and, in this case, the dedicated and passionate
staff, art faculty and Board.
Congratulations on 75 years!
Amy Etheridge
Director
1998 - 2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bea Kuhlke’s ties to the Gertrude Herbert are strong. Her mother played in Ware’s Folly as
a child because her uncle lived in the house. Bea was a teenager when she took her first
formal art lesson, a ceramics class taught by Louisa Mallard. In the 1970s, art instructor,
Marjorie Dean Andruk suggested that Bea begin teaching a class. Flattered and inspired,
Bea began teaching at the Gertrude Herbert in 1976 and continues to teach and encourage
artists, students and patrons in the community.
Bea Kuhlke
Artist
Annual Juried Competition, 1998–2012
One of my first major assignments upon joining the Institute’s staff in 1998 was the
management of its annual juried fine art exhibition, then a regional competition marking its
sixteenth year. The 1998 competition drew fifty-six entries from three states—Georgia,
South Carolina, and one entry from Alabama—and it was an honor to recognize ASU
professor Jennifer Onofrio as one of our Merit Award recipients that year.
In the years since, the competition has grown significantly, now annually involving up to
three hundred artists from almost every state in the union, with jurors drawn from leading
institutions including the Corcoran Gallery and the Lamar Dodd School of Art. Now titled A
Sense of Place, the juried competition is still one of my favorite projects each year. To me it
perfectly reflects the Institute’s long tradition of introducing to its audiences the very best in
regional and national artwork—presenting a very diverse and exciting snapshot of the
contemporary art scene within a single gallery.
Cynthia Rice
Administrative Manager
1998–2013
Newly installed as the Director of the Gertrude Herbert, Dee was in her office, which was
located on the third floor of Ware’s Folly. It had been a busy week preparing for a major
exhibit and there were still many more details to execute. Suddenly a thunderous crash
shook the building and Dee rushed downstairs to investigate. The ceiling in the main
gallery had disintegrated and pieces of it were strewn all over the floor in clouds of plaster
40
dust. After several frantic phone calls, Rick Allen came to the rescue and quickly repaired
the damaged ceiling in time for the exhibition to open as scheduled. In a stunning example
of making lemonade when life hands you lemons, shards of the fallen ceiling were handed
out to local artists and transformed into works of arts that were then sold as a fundraiser.
Dee Templeton
Director
1988-1994
Art, Architecture and You, a collaborative interdisciplinary program developed by a team of
Richmond County and Columbia County teachers and the GHIA staff from September 2006
– May 2007 is important in my bank of GHIA memories.
The program evolved as a result of a grant written by Kim Overstreet that was funded by the
Creel Foundation. The team consisted of four art teachers, one teacher of gifted students,
and one first grade teacher. Research by the team focused on the history of Ware’s Folly,
the families who lived in the building during the 19th century, Olivia Herbert – who
purchased the home for the Augusta Art Club and paid for renovations to the structure, and
her deceased daughter for whom the Institute was named.
Interdisciplinary lesson plans were developed by the teachers and tested in the classroom.
This was followed by a series of tours of Ware’s Folly and activities on site and in the
classroom.
Dorothy Fletcher Eckmann
Education Director
2000 - Present
One Afternoon at 506 Telfair Street
I served as Director at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art from 1979 to 1982. It was a
fortunate position for a young artist in his mid-twenties. The arrangement provided an
apartment on the ground floor, a spacious light-filled studio on the top floor, as well as a
small monthly stipend.
Late one fall afternoon while sitting in the front room of my apartment, I heard the front
gate creak open. Looking up, I saw a very shabbily dressed old man carrying a battered
suitcase approaching the front door. I went to greet him saying, “Sorry, we closed at five.”
My visitor then introduced himself and explained that he had once posed for Picasso and
had his harlequin suit in his suitcase and since we were both members of the brotherhood of
artists, could I put him up for the night?
“Can’t do it, Sir. I am not set up for guests,” I replied. At this, he opened his suitcase and
showed me his harlequin suit. We sat on the front steps for a while and talked of art, Paris,
41
Picasso, and where we were all heading down the road of life. As the conversation wound
down, I suggested to my new acquaintance that we walk around the corner to the Salvation
Army Rescue Mission where lodging might be available. And so we did, and he found a
place for the night. The old man seemed pleased with the arrangement, so I bid him
farewell and walked back to 506 Telfair Street thinking – Never a dull moment at the
Gertrude Herbert – Paris, Picasso, a faded harlequin suit, who knows?
Edward Rice
Director 1979 - 1982
Serving as director of the Gertrude Herbert remains a highlight of my career. What comes
to mind, as I look back, was the enthusiasm of the Board, a staff that was excited to tackle
anything new, and the dedication of the artists who served as faculty. Being new to the
South, it was the perfect place for me to become immersed in the history of Augusta, the
state, and the region.
Ed Rice was a frequent companion on road trips to pick up or deliver artwork. Those trips
were always filled with Ed’s richly detailed stories about the years he served as director and
resided in “Ware’s Folly,” stories of the Civil War, and the importance of a “good sword.”
Jack Cheatham taught me about the proper installation of an exhibition in our historic
galleries. He could rapidly install an exhibit from crate to wall, usually working with a tight
budget, and make it look outstanding.
I learned the positive role of an exceptional board member from the best, having the
opportunity to work with George-Ann Knox.
A milestone occurred when we celebrated the 60th Anniversary during my tenure with an
invitational exhibition featuring 29 local artists, many of them our instructors. All the works
included in the exhibit imparted a sense of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art’s history, its
mission and the essence of this historic home.
Sharon White Gruber
Director
1994-1998
Time Well Spent…
My introduction to the Gertrude was in the early 1980s. I had recently moved to Thomson
from Atlanta and always wanted to show my work, so I jumped at the prospect when Ed
Rice, the director, offered me a show.
The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art stands alone as the non-profit arts institute making a
significant impact to this community for seventy-five years. My fondest memory might be a
42
retreat that the board took while I was chairman. If you are looking for a place to have a
retreat, you can do no better than the Boone and George-Ann Knox cottage on Sea Island. I
am not sure what kind of success we had, but I do remember it was met with some great food
and spirits in addition to a skinny dip by Ed Rice and me at the close of the first day - no
other takers and no cameras!
The board at the Gertrude is unique. The members bring a variety of skills and dedication
to the arts and education and that board was no exception. We expanded our outreach
programs, acquired the house directly behind Ware’s Folly, and built the Walker-Mackenzie
Studio.
There are too many projects to try and recall, but it must be noted that while the Gertrude
has succeeded as an art institute, it has also maintained one of the most important examples
of Federal Style architecture in the South, a full- time job in itself.
It has been my pleasure to be involved with the GHIA and I look forward to many more
years of programs and exhibits.
Jackson Cheatham
Artist
In the mid-1980s, under the leadership of Bill Gary and Finley Merry, a series of annual
fundraisers began. Several members hosted cocktail parties in their homes prior to the main
event. Guests then went to the Old Medical College for a gala evening of dinner, dancing,
and an auction. Live and silent auction items included: deep-sea fishing charters, trips to
Nashville to visit the Grand Old Opry and play golf, Stan Smith tennis clinics at Hilton
Head, vacation homes, dinner parties produced by members in the purchaser’s home, and
works of art donated by artists. Ed Rice was one of the first donating a beach scene. These
events were very successful. Proceeds were used to augment an endowment fund growing to
several hundred thousand dollars.
Linda Walker
Board of Trustees
In addition to her role as instructor, Lucy Weigle assumed the role of interim director for a
six-week period in 1989. Though her tenure was brief, she brought two sorely needed
innovations into Ware’s Folly in the form of “modern technology.” Her first order of
business was to replace the clunky black rotary dial phone with a push-button one. The
second technological innovation was to purchase the very first copy machine for the
Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art.
Lucy Weigle
Artist
43
I became involved with the Gertrude Herbert when we were looking for a venue to display
the artwork produced by the participants in the Agnes Markwalter Art Competition. This
was a few years after the competition started. The competition is named in honor of my
sister who died in an automobile accident shortly after she won an art contest by making a
bronze sculpture that was displayed in the Kennedy Gallery. I did not have an interest in art
at the time but after we started holding the awards ceremony at the Gertrude Herbert, I was
invited to join the Board and served two terms. It helped me acquire an appreciation for the
arts, a family trait also enjoyed by my 85-year-old aunt who took lessons at the Gertrude
Herbert when she was a child.
Lizzie Markwalter
Board of Trustees
As I look back, the most memorable event was not an instant in time but several over my
tenure as director. It was the overall opportunity to learn about art, architecture and
history. Examples presented themselves on a daily basis from the students who attended
classes, the artists who showed their work, and the patrons who visited. I was inspired by
the staff who toiled endlessly and made each event unforgettable. I am honored to have
been a part of this rich history in a place where art and architecture combines creating a
unique learning experience.
Kim Overstreet
Director
2005-2008
Collaborative Spirit
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the legacy of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art is
its spirit of collaboration. We have seen networks and connections form in the professional
art world because of exhibitions, workshops, and experiences that occurred at the Institute.
Such networks include the strong ties GHIA has to both the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the
University of Georgia, the Betty Foy Sanders at Georgia Southern University, and the Fine
Art Department at Augusta State University. These relationships have resulted in
noteworthy exhibitions, jurors for our annual juried competition, workshop leaders,
friendships, and more.
This collaborative spirit has extended to other arts and cultural and even social service
organizations. Recent collaborations have been with the Jessye Norman School of the Arts,
Rape Crisis and Sexual Assault Services, and Safe Homes of Augusta. Longstanding
partnerships exist with the Greater Augusta Arts Council and the Morris Museum of Art.
In this collaborative spirit, the Institute has served as a catalyst for bridging connections
between communities, forging relationships within the art world, and making contributions
44
towards the development of arts awareness and appreciation across the greater Augusta
community.
Rebekah Henry Murphy
Executive Director
2009 – 2013
What a pleasure it is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Gertrude Herbert Institute of
Art in my 75th year!
My association with the “Gertie-Herbie” began in 1985 when, at that time, my 80 year-old
mother was taking drawing lessons there.
Today, as an emeritus board member, I can honestly say that this institution has provided
countless meaningful and pleasurable experiences not only for me, but also for this entire
community.
On a personal note, the naming of the Walker-Mackenzie studio in honor of my family
(which was a total surprise) means the world to me.
George-Ann W. Knox
Gertrude Herbert Endowment Committee
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With a heritage so rich and support so great, the Gertrude Herbert does not rest on its laurels
but continues to change with the times and look to the future.
45
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Note: The minutes and annual reports of the Board of Trustees kept on file at the Gertrude
Herbert Institute of Art were used extensively. Several scrapbooks kept at the institute
containing newspaper clippings, letters, program brochures, and ephemera were also used.
The electronic archives of the Augusta Chronicle were consulted. Specific articles cited in
the body of the text that were not part of the files of the institute follow.
Chapter 1
www.conovergenealogy.com. Helme family tree
Georgiahealth.edu. University Hospital's Milton Antony Wing
Historic American Buildings Survey Foundation by Carol C. Smith: Fifty Years of the
Historic American Buildings Survey, 1933-1983
www.memory.loc.gov.Ware-Sibley-Clark House. HABS-GA-123-Aug.36New York Times
11.11.1885. Marriage of Olivia and John
4.23.1919. Marriage of Gertrude and E.Delaney Dunn
6.18.1933. Obituary of Mrs. Edward Dunn
2.10.1935. Bridge Party and Fashion Show
3.13.1936. Week in Augusta Art Exhibits
2.28.1937. Tableaux Vivants
Porter Fleming Foundation Grant Application, 2013
Red Bank Register, 2.20.1907. Mrs. J.W. Herbert
Sentinel. 6.27.2002 - Mansions' diverse stories tied to family, civic life
www.siris-archives.si.edu.Salubrity Hall - Garden Club of America Collection
Southernmeditation.com. Salubrity Hall
Warne Family Geneaology by George Warne LaBaw. John Herbert Family tree
Chapter 2
Art News, Vol. XXVII No. 11, December 10, 1938 pp. 16-17
Carologue, Vol.17 No. 4, Winter 2001, pp. 19-25.
46
Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina, exhibition catalogue, The Lowcountry
Landscapes of Horace Day, November 19-2004 - March 20, 2005
www.kressfoundation.org
Museo di Castelvecchio, Verona, Italy. Giovanni Francesco Caroto
New York Times
3.10.1948. Exhibitions
Nottingham, Cornelia Payne, An Artist Abroad by Elizabeth Nottingham Day with a
Memorial Story.
The Lowcountry Landscapes of Horace Day, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South
Carolina, exhibition catalogue, November 19-2004 - March 20, 2005
www.wpamurals.com. Day and Fausett murals
Chapter 3
www.gf.org. The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Dean Fausett biography.
www.legacy.com/obituaries. Rex Stambaugh
www.monet.unk.edu, University of Nebraska. Leonard Thiessen biography
New York Times
12.3.1939. First Photography Exhibit of the Augusta Art Club
1.11.1942. Annual Photography Exhibition
Chapter 4
www.georgiamuseum.org. Holbrook Collection
Perkerson, Medora Field, White Columns in Georgia, 1952.
Chapter 5
Art News, Nov. 18, 1958.
Chapter 6
Department of National Resources, Atlanta Georgia letter fro Joe. D. Tanner commissioner,
June 4, 1976.
Stachura, Sea, Looking Back at Augusta's Race Riot, gpb.org.
47
Chapter 7
www.annehebebrand.com
Chattahoochee Valley Art Association. The Cochran Collection: Graphics by 20th Century
Masters, exhibition catalogu3, 1986.
www.thedailysouth/southernliving.com. The Cochran Collection
www.legacy.com/obituaries. Paul Vincent
www.museum.state.sc.us. Guy Fleming Lipscomb, Jr.
University of Georgia School of Environmental Design, Preservation Planning, Gertrude
Herbert Institute of Art, undated.
Chapter 8
Augusta Chronicle, December 10, 1996, Peter S. Knox III obituary
The Business Consulting Group, Inc., Five Year Strategic Plan, June, 1997
www.columbusstate.edu, January 23, 2013. CSU's Bartlett Center Names First Director
Chapter 9
Azaceta, Luis Cruz, No Bounds, exhibition catalogue, January 11 = February 29, 2008.
Chapter 10
Seventy-fifth Anniversary Celebration, 1937-2012, January 11-13, 2013
www.gagives.org
48